Resident Evil 4 Buzz

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IGN talks to Paul W.S. Anderson about the sequel.

By Jim Vejvoda

IGN spoke with director Paul W.S. Anderson today, who gave us the skinny on what's currently happening with Resident Evil IV. Anderson wrote and directed the first installment and wrote and produced its two sequels.

"I'm writing a script right now. The script side is happening," Anderson explained. As for which of his many projects in development goes into production first, the filmmaker said, "It's going to be difficult what's happening when until the whole SAG [strike] thing is resolved. But that's something I'm working on right now. Everyone at [game developer] Capcom has had their input into the idea and they're all very excited. I don't want to tell you what it is but it's very exciting."

He added, "Once again we're doing it completely with the blessing of the videogame company. We got a lot of flack [on the sequels] for, 'Why isn't the movie set in the mansion just exactly like the very first videogame?' That's just not progression for me. As the Resident Evil videogames themselves have developed in leaps and bounds -- it's like when we did the last movie people were like, 'Resident Evil doesn't take place in the desert. What the (expletive) is this?' Well, where does Resident Evil take place? Does it take place in Raccoon City exclusively? Well, I don't think so because the game has been in Antarctica, in Raccoon City, now it's in Africa."

Anderson continued, "The game is constantly and so is the movie franchise. We're doing it very much in conjunction with the developers of the videogame to give the audience something fresh but something that fits within the world of the videogame."

The filmmaker wouldn't spill the beans on whether Reisdent Evil IV would center on Milla Jovovich's Alice or Ali Larter's Claire Redfield. "I can't say right now," he said, then laughed, "I'm no more secretive than Capcom. I was having a meeting with Capcom and I asked about the future of the Umbrella Corporation. 'The Umbrella Corporation has many secrets.' Well, what does that mean?!"